Articles by Jeff Cianci

Izakaya, a popular style of restaurant in Japanese culture that serves a menu of small plates meant to be enjoyed with friends over drinks, has grown quickly in popularity in the West. Bushido Izakaya is just one example why. With a casual setting in downtown…

Lure + Till has the swankiness and cool one would expect in a neighborhood where bumper-to-bumper Teslas park and venture capitalists power lunch. An industrial chic dining atmosphere in step with its home at the luxuriously modern Hotel Epiphany, Lure + Till makes presentation a…

Mixx in Mountain View shakes up the dining scene on Castro Street with a head chef experienced in modern cooking techniques and a menu of updated renditions on American gastropub fare. On first impression, I really wasn’t sure what to make of Mixx. In a…

Da Kine Island Grill oozes aloha with its menu of tropical tiki drinks and classic Hawaiian comfort food. Palm fronds and surf boards decorate the inside of the downtown San Jose restaurant. A pineapple decorates each of the high-top wooden tables while a playlist of…

Inside South San Jose’s sprawling new Village Oaks development—billed as Santana Row 2.0—MOD Pizza offers a neighborhood vibe in a sea of franchise dining options. Although it’s a chain restaurant with more than 40 locations across the country, MOD Pizza, which specializes in make-it-your-way creations,…

Executive chef Jeffrey Stout developed his fine dining skills at restaurants such as Chantilly and Alexander’s Steakhouse. At his new venture, Orchard City Kitchen, located in The Pruneyard in Campbell, Stout has done away with pomp and circumstance in lieu of shareable plates in a…

Babies have become men in between the time the Whole Foods Market along The Alameda in downtown San Jose was first proposed and finally built. It appears the wait was worth it. The new market features the company’s first on-site microbrewery and taproom in California….

A charming cocktail house with California cuisine set by the seasons, The Lexington House lends itself to a boozy evening with friends or date night as you navigate a menu of curious spirits and artfully plated dishes. Jimmy Marino and Stephen Shelton, former bar managers…

Chef and owner Guillaume Bienaimé blends classical French cuisine with modern cooking techniques at Palo Alto’s newest restaurant, Zola. Previously the chef at Portola Kitchen and Marché, which the Michelin Guide named a top-25 restaurant in the Bay Area, Guillaume sat down to talk with…